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Explained in plain English

Who owns Royal Mail now?

Royal Mail was privatised in 2013, ending over 350 years of state ownership. It was bought by International Distributions Services (IDS) in 2022, a Dutch logistics firm. This change means decisions like job cuts are made by a private, international company, not the UK government, aiming for profit in a changing market.

Stories that explain this

Royal Mail cutting 2,500 head office jobs by end of 2027

Related explainers

Why are letter volumes falling? How did privatisation happen? What is the 'universal service'? How do voluntary redundancies work? Who owns royal art? How does Royal Mail work? Is all royal property public? Who was Dr Cain's royal patient?

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